Puppy Love
by Rinkika
Summary: Rin finds a wounded white puppy on the sidewalk, and decides to take it in until it heals. But did she know that it was her favorite and secretly crushed on Inu member–Sesshomaru? Nope.
1. Prologue

**_Puppy Love_**

**_Prologue_**

**__****_Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization._**

**__****_Ay, guys! I just wanted to show you guys that I haven't died yet, although I am at the brink of exploding from school. Anyways, this is another light writing that I suddenly thought of and had to write down, because I really wanted to post something but I can't find the motivation to write chapters for my other stories that are in progress. Anyway, this story is in all 3rd POV, although I don't know if I should try to continue it or not, enjoy!_**

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"Worthless half-blood."

"And you're so great just because you're a full-blood? Please!"

"You know that I'm better than you, pup!"

"Pup? Why you-"

Izayoi's voice interrupted the brothers' argument.

"Boys! Stop fighting up there and come down for dinner!"

Although Izayoi was but a mere human, both the demon and half-demon flinched at her sharp tone. Sesshomaru sent one last hateful glare at his half-brother before leaving, making sure to let the door slam shut behind him.

"Puppy, eh? Let's see how much you'll like being a puppy.." Inuyasha murmured, his lips curving up to a scheming smirk.

**. . .**

Sesshomaru leaned back on his chair and sighed, pleased with Izayoi's extraordinary cooking skills. "Fluffy, aren't you suppose to be out on your walk right now?" Inuyasha asked, innocently tilting his head and twitching his ears. Inu-Taisho scowled at him. "Inuyasha, you shouldn't be acting so cute**–**we Inu's may be dog demons, but that doesn't mean we need to act like dogs."

Izayoi snorted. "You act like a dog enough already," she murmured. Inu-Taisho gave her a look of feigned hurt and betrayal. "I don't see you complaining about me mating like a 'mad do-" Sesshomaru quickly got out of his chair and took up his dishes to the sink before leaving the kitchen and heading out. Inuyasha followed suit, but he went into his room instead.

A while later, Sesshomaru walked along the park, his clawed hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat, a scarf wrapped around his neck. It was late fall, and the temperatures were dropping immensely.

A dizzy feeling came over him, and he stopped. "... I must be losing too much energy arguing with that half-breed." Before he could grasp what was happening, the dizzy feeling grew more intense and his world seemed to be spinning. Everything seemed to grow bigger, and it felt like he was losing height. "Wha..." He lost consciousness.

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_**Well. That's the prologue, should I continue this? I don't know if I can with my other two stories going on and barely having free time to write, but if you guys wish it, I'll try. **_

_**Thanks for reading, R&R!**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 1**_

**_Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization._**

_**As much as I would've enjoyed reviews, 9 followers and 3 favorites already, wow! Thank you guys so much for the support. Since it's the weekend, I figured that I should update some chapters before bed, so here it is–enjoy!**_

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Rin hurried down the path to the grocery store, glancing at the setting sun and swinging her rather large purse that rested at her waist.

She'd realized that her fridge was literally empty and she wouldn't have any excess time from work to go grocery shopping for the next few days, with her coming home at 6 every night, finishing up her work and emailing them to her boss until 8, then cooking herself dinner and showering before bed. Being a secretary wasn't easy, but she was satisfied with the pay and the life that it provided her.

Estimating that it would take at least 20 minutes from 7:45 to walk to the store, she will most likely be home by 8:25 at the earliest, just enough time to cook herself a decent meal and shower before going to bed and preparing for the next day of tiring work.

When she finally reached and entered the store, she quickly grabbed a cart and started searching for the things she needed from the top of her head.

Oranges, check. She's had an orange obsession since forever.

Lettuce, check.

Meat, check.

Milk, check.

Cookies, check. She could never down a mug of milk without at least one cookie, and vise versa.

Some onions, check.

Bread, check.

As she went down the list, she lost track of time and just happened to glance out the window and noticed that it was getting rather dark. "Shit!" She cursed, hurriedly pushing her cart to the checkout.

After she left the store, she walked as fast as she could without dropping or damaging any food. A flash of white caught her eye. She stopped and retraced a few steps back to see what it was.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and instinctively growled when he sensed a presence. Though the intruder carried a pleasantly familiar scent, he stayed on alert. "Now, now, it's alright." An all too familiar voice cooed, causing him to lift his head and stare into the eyes of his human friend, Rin.

The gold of its eyes startled her, as well as the pale crescent moon imprinted on the puppy's forehead and the twin stripes of purple running along both of its cheeks. It was obviously male. However, she doesn't register that it was Sesshomaru himself, since she was never told that demons could transform. Her attention was quickly drawn to the cut on his head, the bloody line almost overlapping with his crescent mark.

"Aw, you're hurt! Come on now, I'll take you home and you'll heal just fine." With that, she laid down her groceries and carefully placed him in her purse, hoping that there wasn't anything sharp or harming in there because honestly, she hasn't cleaned out the purse in weeks.

Oh well, he'll just have to deal with it.

The familiar smell of Rin grew stronger as he settled in her purse. It was a pleasant scent; wild flowers, coconuts, and kiwi, the same smell that he would secretly take a whiff at when Rin wasn't paying attention. It was a mix that shouldn't have blended well together, but it did. The scent gave him a calm feeling and he found himself asleep again.

Picking up her groceries again, Rin hurried home, careful to not disturb the sleeping puppy.

**. . .**

The moment she got home, she put away her groceries in the kitchen and looked around for anything that the puppy could sleep in. She found nothing, so she settled with wrapping him with a soft towel after cleaning up the wound on his head and lying him on her bed, not wanting to disturb his slumber to give him a wash.

After making her usual serving of lasagna and showering, she climbed into her bed and held the puppy to her chest, her free hand stroking his soft fur absent-mindedly, careful to avoid the cut.

As she too drifted off into sleep, she was lost in her usual dreams of her long-time crush, Sesshomaru. Only this time, his presence seemed to be more real.

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_**Okay, I'm about to fall over from this sleepiness. I hope you guys enjoyed this, tell me if you have any feedback. There might be some typos here and there and mistakes made through my state of daze, but I'll come back and revise later.**_

_**Till next time, R&R!**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 2**_

**_Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization._**

**_Ay guys, I'm going to put up this little notice here._**

**_I need a beta to help me revise this story. Although I am a beta myself, I can't do good revising my own stories because I don't know what to think. So yeah, if anyone can help, I'd be thankful :) you don't even have to be a beta reader with a beta profile, just as long as you think you're good at writing and stuff. _**

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Sesshomaru woke up.

The immediate smell of Rin invaded his senses like it did all night, even in his sleep. He bathed in it for a moment or two before getting confused to where it came from, and he remembered what had happened.

His transformation into a puppy.

Gangsters attempting to 'playing' with him, resulting the cut on his head.

Rin finding him and taking him home.

And of course, he knew who had been behind all of it: Inuyasha. His ignorant half-brother. Sesshomaru was sure that it was something in his food, though he didn't know what Inuyasha had put into it that made him like this, how, and where he got it in the first place.

A sweet breath fanned across his face, ruffling his fur in the slighest and he stared at Rin in his current puppy-view. Her lips were the first thing that he observed, since the direct blow of air had come from it.

They were a nice plush pink, a color that cannot be achieved through simple lipgloss or lipstick, he mused. Her bottom lip was slightly jutted out in what formed her trademark pout that he knows all too well. She uses it on him often and he fails to admit that it affects him every time.

Her cheeks were tinted a lighter shade of pink from sleep, her brown ebony hair fell and framed half of the cheek that was pressed to her pillow. The top attire that she wore to bed would have brought color to even his usual emotionless face. **(Ooh, bad naughty puppy!) **

The same dark color was on her eyelashes, which were even longer than it looked to be close-up. As if on clue, her closed lids fluttered open to reveal the brown orbs that always lit up with warmth whenever she looked at him. In his human(or demon?) form, of course. Her eyes right now still carried the familiar warmth, but not as much. He wondered if that meant anything. Rin looked over at her alarm clock and noted that it was already 7:34 AM. She has to get to work at 8.

"Why, good morning puppy." Rin smiled softly and rubbed the soft fur on his head. Waking up to golden eyes so much like Sesshomaru's had caught her off-guard for a moment. "How's your head?" She asked, looking at the scar that had formed. It seemed to be healing extraordinarily fast, but living in a world with demons, nothing seemed too extraordinary to humans anymore. She traced a finger lightly over the puppy's crescent, unaware of the sudden shiver that went through him.

"Well, I've got work, so I better go get ready."

Sesshomaru was placed on her pillow while she changed, his puppy face turned away from her. She carried him downstairs with her, settling him on the couch and proceeding to making herself breakfast. Before leaving, Rin poured some water and put some sausages into the old cat dish that she'd found. "Sorry, this was the best I could find." She smiled an apologetic smile that made Sesshomaru wonder if she spoke and treated everyone and everything like she would if it were her friends.

Waving goodbye, she grabbed her stuff and left. It was rare that Sesshomaru would ever really have a nice relaxing day, even if he wasn't a puppy, so he decided to catch a few extra hours of sleep.

When he woke up again after around 3 and a half hours, he thought that the house felt oddly quiet without its owner, so he decided to entertain himself by exploring her house. He had learned her address long ago, but felt that it would be weird and awkward if he just showed up at her doorsteps one day, so he never bothered to visit. Now he let his curiousity lead him.

He padded around the living room first, since it was where Rin had carried him to before leaving. It was simple yet had a cozy, comfortable feeling; suitable for Rin. The walls were white as the floor and ceiling, which had a surface mounted light. A television stood a distance away from where he sat on the plush and comfortable couch, and he turned his head to see a coffee table placed a few feet left of it. The whole setup was near a wall. A rug of brown fur covered the floor between the television and settee. A plant occupied a corner, perfecting the theme of the living room of a secretary.

He wouldn't be surprised if there was even a fireplace somewhere.

A few pictures hung on the wall, and he had to jump on the table in order to see it closely. He hated the weak and hopeless position that Inuyasha had put him in. There were 5 pictures, each framed differently, and they were hung in a wavy line across the wall.

It was obvious what the first picture showed: her family. Her parents, Kaede and Daiki **(Random name picked out of sheer laziness. Hehe.) **Kaede had a kind face, cascading raven hair, and a petite frame, features that Rin no doubt got from her. Her father Daiki was built and looked like the average father any human kid would want, with the same eyes that Rin has. Between the both of them, Rin looked undoubtedly and perfectly belonging in the family.

The second picture was Rin by her self, probably at the age of 8, holding a teddy bear that looked suspiciously familiar to the one that Rin always brings to the slumber parties that were held at the Inu house. He made a note to call her out on it once he turns back to his normal self.

The final picture was what caught his eye as he scanned the wall. It was a small picture with a polished frame. The picture showed Rin and himself. It was the picture that he finally and reluctantly agreed to take after 2 hours of peskering while he was at the fair with Rin a year ago. He was surprised that she still had it, and felt a small blossom of pride that she had it framed and hung up. There were a few decorations here and there to fill in the remaining empty space.

Jumping down gracefully from his spot on the table, he next explored the kitchen, but found it rather boring, so he decided to go up the stairs and see what he could find. Being a puppy seemed to really lighten his curiosity. After he trudged up step after step, he reached Rin's bedroom door. She had left it open for him, and made him wonder so if she treated everyone so thoughtfully.

Rin's room smelled strongly of well, Rin. More than any other place in the house. He'd always thought Rin to be the neat type, a neat freak, and her living room seemed fine, but the sight proved him wrong.

He felt slightly amused at the mess in front of him, now that he's seeing the room in clear daylight. Clothes were tossed on the chair in front of her desk and desktop, which was surrounded by quite an impressive collection of pens and crumbled paper, and some were on the floor. The only tidy spot was her made bed, which had the exception of a small cream shade book near the end of the bed, waiting to fall off. He made it to the edge of the bed, gave a little jump, and succeeded in knocking the book over with his head and moved on to look at the book. But it wasn't a book.

Instead, it was Rin's diary.

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_**Uh-oh! Thank you guys so much for the reviews, it really motivates me to update. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. R&R, until next time!**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization. **_

**_Hehe, I'm back! I'm really sorry to keep you guys hanging on a cliff like that in chapter 2, but I had to. Thank you guys so much fpr the reveiws! Anyway, I finally get time to write after my 3-in-a-row tennis matches till 7:30 (PM of course) and homework. Enjoy!_**

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Just out of pure curiousity, **(ha, sure)** he lifted a paw and placed it on the cover. It had a sandy texture that matched its shade. He stared at it for a moment before slowly unfurling a claw and using it to turn the cover. The first page wasn't made for writing, so there wasn't anything on it, but the next page was filled with writing.

It was messy, and he looked at the top of the page to see that it was written two years ago. It was the same year that they'd met, too. Captivated, he began to read over her familiar handwriting.

_June 3rd, 2012_

_Just two more days before I graduate from high school! I am sooo excited! Kagome says that there are going to be a lot of worries after I finally get to live on my own, in my own house, bought with my own money. Dad and mom are just as much worried as Kagome is; I don't see what the fuss is. I don't see Kagome complaining about living with Inuyasha._

He would have snorted at that if he could, but he'd mastered his emotionless mask ages ago, so it would've been a disgrace to his practice, but the owner of the diary had always fascinated him in ways that no other has achieved. He read on.

_Inuyasha told me that he had a brother. The only one that he had told before announcing it to our group of friends was Kagome. According to him, his brother's name was Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha was "two years " younger than him.. although Inuyasha's probably a few hundred years old or something.. I never understood how demon age works, but I think it's rude to ask. _

It is. Sesshomaru himself is 22 in human years, but 220 in demon years. Inuyasha was 20, so he was 200. In the setting of her diary entry, Inuyasha was only 180, and he was 200.

_I mean, demons are all older than my great-great-great-grandparents... ah, it's weird to think of Inuyasha like that.. I wonder what his brother is like. Inuyasha said and I quote: "He's a stuck-up, pain-in-the-ass, cold, annoying, spoiled, self-confident goddamned bastard, that's what he is. And you'll meet him at the graduation, because he'll be dragged there by our parents."_

Stuck-up, pain-in-the-ass, cold, annoying, spoiled, self-confident goddamned bastard, eh? Sesshomaru's other paw twitched and was getting ready to shred the page before he realized the consenquences if he did. He furled his claws and restrained himself with the thought of tearing Inuyasha to shreds once he gets back.

_The way he said it made me worry about meeting this stuck-up brother of his, but I'm not going to be hung up on that when my graduation comes. Mother is calling me to eat dinner now._

_Out, Rin._

He flipped the page and read on.

_June 4th, 2012_

_Tomorrow! Ayame and Kagome has already dragged me to shop for the graduation, but I'll admit I had fun. My dress is a sleeve-less orange dress with a sparkly white outline on the top and a matching white sash around the waist with a to-the-floor skirt with ruffles. The school allows us to wear our choice of clothing as long as we wear the graduation necessaries._

Now that he thought about it, he remembered the dress. He remembered how it stood out amongst all the other white, red, black, grey, and dark colors, therefore making her stand out.

_I also got Inuyasha, Kagome, Ayame, Koga, Sango, and Miroku graduation presents. I don't know, but I decided to get a present for Sesshomaru, since it seemed nice of him to even attend the graduation when he and Inuyasha obviously hates each other. Or do they? I really can't sleep, but I think I should try, for the sake of not having dark circles at my graduation tomorrow.._

That memory was still clear in his mind. He remembered standing near a refreshment table, watching the graduation and during the party, girls had immediately started to flirt with him, so he escaped to a more vacant place on the balcony. He had met Rin there, and Inuyasha hadn't introduced them yet, but it seemed obvious that they were related; silver hair and golden eyes weren't everyday features.

"You must be Sesshomaru," she had said in a bright tone. He had nodded, thinking that she was just another flirt. "Are you Inuyasha's brother?" She'd prodded, and he was already getting bored, but he nodded again.

"Oh.." then she'd told him to wait, and rushed back into the party setting. He'd been confused, but there was nowhere for him to go anyways. When she came back minutes later, her elegant updo was a bit messy, and her breathing was slightly hard.

"Here!" She'd thrust out a small bag at him with a sincere smile. He was so taken back, he took it.

"Well, open it!" He had obeyed, and pulled out a black leather watch with gold and silver arrows pointing at the time. He had looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and remembered her response clearly.

"Well, I saw this when shopping for graduation presents and I remembered Inuyasha saying that you were cold and aloof, and I assumed that you would have gold eyes and silver hair like him.. so I bought it for you!" That had been unheard of to him, and he had told her that he didn't want it, but somehow ended up taking it back with him anyways. It was her pout and pleading eyes, something that he had later wondered how the heck they affected him.

He still has the watch, although it had broke, but he always kept it on his bedside table for some odd reason.

She had fascinated him in many ways from that day on.

_June 5th, 2012_

_Oh my god, graduation was awesome! I felt like crying from happiness when they handed me that scroll. I also met Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru. I went out to the balcony to get some fresh air and saw him. Looking at his hair and eyes, it was so obvious that it was Sesshomaru. His hair was even longer than Inuyasha's! But then again, demons seem to have a thing for long hair, both male and female alike. And I'm sorry Inuyasha, but your brother is just hot.. Kami! I didn't know how I even managed to get through that meeting with him without stuttering; I'm proud of myself, actually._

He smirked as he read through the passage.

_He really didn't seem as bad as Inuyasha had described him to be, but I might've went a bit blind there.. and I had almost forgot to give him his present! He was as stubborn as Inuyasha, but I succeeded in making him take the watch home, hehe. _

As Sesshomaru read on, page after page, he noticed the vague change of her handwriting, how she would skip a few days or weeks before writing again after she got settled down, and halfway through, it occured to him to read her most recent entry. It was written two weeks ago, and he immediately began to read again. Pretty soon he had finished the whole diary.

It was odd to read about how she'd grown in the last 2 years, from how she got her house and job to her fights and inner opinions, and his name had been mentioned quite a few times, which touched a pride in him that was different from his usual pride.

His ears twitched when he heard keys getting ready to open the doors, and he realized that he had been spending at least 3 hours reading, and Rin had come home early from work.

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_**Man, I felt like that ending was rushed and crappy, and I'm sorry if it is. My fingers are just really tired and I have stuff to do after this, so I'll come back to revise later, but I think that you guys deserve an update, even if it's a crappy one.. excuse my typos and any odd sentences if there are any, R&R!**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

_**Such support, thank you guys so much! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I've pushed through my state of laziness to present: Chapter 4! Well, you already know. Enjoy! Oh and um, this chapter might be a bit humored. I feel humored right now, and my writing varies with my mood, so..yeah.**_

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"Oh, I see you've found your way back here, puppy." Rin said when she opened her bedroom door and noticed the puppy sitting obediently near her bed.

Sesshomaru gave a bark, leaving his pride and dignity for later because no way was he going to let Rin find out that he'd read her most private thoughts. Then another thought crossed his mind.

She doesn't know that it's him. He felt mildly stupid.

"And you didn't eat any of the food I left back in the living room either. Picky about the food, or just the dish?" She teased as she picked him up and cradled him to her chest. He let himself relish in her warmth for a moment before jumping out of her arms to the floor. He couldn't keep his pride and dignity off for long. He was taught by his father that "Even if we _are _dog demons, that doesn't mean we have to act like one!" Heard before? Hn.

Rin didn't seem to mind his retreat; she thought it reminded her of Sesshomaru - cold at times, oddly warm in others.

"You know.. I should start calling you something besides "puppy"... and I've actually got time today, so we'll see what we can learn about you today.." For a moment, he panicked. What if she found out it was him?

"Alright.. what to call you..?" She hesitated and thought for a moment, picking him up again and holding him so she could stare at his face.

He didn't feel as uncomfortable as he should be - nobody aside from his parents had dared to hold his stare for long, whether it was because they were intimidated or his height was too much. Sure, probably when he was younger, but never as he got older. He didn't think that Inuyasha's staring/glaring contests count. Rin, however, didn't make him feel uncomfortable in any way, although it may just be because he wasn't even in his usual form.

He was suddenly struck with a thought that increased his panic.

The obvious markings on his face. The crescent and twin stripes would definitely give him away now that Rin was taking a closer look at them.

"Hmmm... you remind me of Sesshomaru.. he's a friend of mine. I wonder if he owns any dogs and if you may be one of his pets, I don't know." She hummed thoughtfully, deep in thought.

"Ah, since you look so much like him, maybe we can call you Maru or something..." She murmured, more to herself than to him. "Maru it is! My little Maru." She cooed, aiming for planting a kiss on his nose, but missing by a little, and ended up kissing his mouth instead. She giggled and wiped her mouth on her sleeve before putting him back on her bed, not noticing that he had froze and was staring at her.

"Okay, now that we have a name for you.. what else? I know for certain you're a boy, because you're such a handsome little thing," She tapped his nose as she said that. "You don't have a collar though..." She shrugged and gave him a pat on his head.

"I'll go see if I can find any more food, since you decided to be picky and not eat." She said in a teasing tone, her words barely registering to him. As the door closed behind her, her footsteps down the stairs faded and slight shifting in the kitchen can be heard, but Sesshomaru remained frozen.

He wondered why his heart was beating so unusually fast, and he knew that for a fact, if he was in his normal form, his face would be unusually red too.

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_**Had to post before I break that promise that I'm updating this chapter this week. Anyway, sorry that it's this short and that it might be sorta crappy once again, but school is well... school. That word alone is enough explaination. I shall come back and edit later. If you do catch any typos or grammar mistakes though, comment it in a review so I don't have to do all the work.. Thanks for your patience and support, R&R!**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story is owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

_**I think it is time you guys get an update! Thank you guys soooo much for all the support!**_

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"Alright.. well, I haven't seen him in over a week and I was wondering if he was with you, but.. I guess not."

Rin blushed at thought of Sesshomaru being with her... but oh well, that's one of the fantasies left to use as dreams.

"Thank you, Rin. Tell me if you ever see him around? I mean, I know that he's an adult already and I should respect his privacy, but he's never been gone for this long, and being a mother, I'm worried. I mean, he's grown up and strong and probably won't be messed with, plus he's a demon, but you know, there's always that posibility.."

Rin smiled slightly at Izayoi's rambling, but she was also worried about what she was hearing from her. Sesshomaru was missing?

Sure, she hasn't seen him in a while, but then again, she hasn't seen Kagome, Sango, Ayame, or Inuyasha in a while either. They've all gotten jobs, homes, and life wasn't as carefree anymore.

"I understand. Yes, I'll keep an eye out for him. I will.. Okay. Bye." She hung off, the conversation fresh in her mind, from the answering hello to Izayoi's familiar reminder to not call her before cutting the line.

A bark interrupted her thoughts - okay, maybe it should be called a daydream about a certain demon, but as she looked down, she smiled and cooed. "Aw, Maru. Missed me?"

Sesshomaru gave another bark. He had heard the conversation on both sides, due to his extraordinary sense of hearing.

He felt regretful that he'd made his parents worried, but Inuyasha wasn't mentioned, he didn't know how temporary his current form is, so there was nothing that can be done.

A week with Rin had passed quickly, peacefully, and he'd felt a little lonely every day when she left for work. Not once did she seem to suspect his identity, and he was careful to not put the idea in her mind.

After all, it's hard not to make connections about a dog demon and a puppy look-alike.

"It's lunch time... I believe I'll have enough time to eat and take you for a walk before I get called back by my work again," she mused, more to herself than to him as she picked him up and carried him downstairs with her.

Rin opened the refrigerator and looked inside to see if she could find any food suitable for a dog. She frowned when she realized that she'd ran out of food again.. the last time she stocked up was a week ago, when she found Sesshomaru. Due to state of laziness, she hasn't bothered to go to the store again... after all, not much food was needed to feed a petite girl and now, who she thinks is a young pup.

"Ah.. I'm sorry Maru, but we can't take that walk today,"she started, looking at Sesshomaru, who was sitting elegantly on the kitchen table. His ears drooped in the slightest at her words, but perked up noticeably at her next words.

"But you can always come with me to buy groceries." She said, giggling at his obvious agreement. She couldn't help but compare the Sesshomaru she knows to his puppy look-alike. Cold and cuddly. Expressionless and obvious. Handsome.. and cute. She giggled again at the thought of Sesshomaru having a cute look-alike.

"I don't have a leash," she noted, "so you'd better behave or I'll ditch you."

He knew she was joking, so he gave a bark before following her as she headed towards the door.

**. . .**

Beef, check.

Sausages, check.

Bacon, check.

Pork, check.

Rin sighed and glanced at the demanding puppy sitting on her cart. He'd been barking and pawing at every food that he seemed to like as they passed them. Dog food, no. This was one picky puppy.

Milk, check.

Lasgana, check.

Breakfast mixes, check.

Oranges, double check.

Oreos? Hell yeah, check.

Veggies, check.

Fruits, check.

As the list goes on, with the cart slowly but surely filling up, she finally decided that Itit is time to get in line and check out the groceries.

After saying a quick thank you to the cashier, who gushed and gave Sesshomaru a treat, she headed back home, leaving him wondering why she didn't just take her car. He knew she had one.

He padded after her, and suddenly, his ears twitched. Someone... was following them.

* * *

_**Sorry if this chapter wasn't as interesting as it ought to be, but I promise.. the next chapter will have the ultimate turn of plot. No more peaceful little chapters after that.**_

_**Oh, and about my late updating... you do know that even when I don't have time to write, I was the time to update my profile? Once you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you're wondering when I'm updating again or maybe if I died (from school) check there. **_

_**R&R, thank you for reading! Now to go back for revising..**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 6**_

**_Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intendeded. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization._**

* * *

He looked around cautiously, scanning every corner. A few people were scattered around the shortcut that Rin chose to take, for the sake of having time to finish her reports by tomorrow.

There was a breeze blowing the wrong way, so he couldn't detect a smell. However..

A sudden movement caught his eyes, and he immediately pounced. "Oww.." can be heard when he landed on the male he'd just somehow knocked down.

"Inuyasha?"

_What the hell? _Sesshomaru thought as he sniffed at the chest he stood on. Indeed, it was the scent of his half-brother, Inuyasha. A snarl ripped from his throat at he glared down at the identical golden eyes staring back at him. _"You'r__e dead, half-breed." _He growled, knowing full and well that Inuyasha could understand him and knew what he was talking about.

After all, they do share half of the same blood.

"Whoa there, Maru. Shh, calm down. It's just a friend of mine," Rin cooed as she tranferred the grocery bags to one arm and picked him off Inuyasha with her free hand.

"Yeah, _Maru._" He said as he picked himself up, dramatically patting at invisible dust.

"I thought you liked dogs, Yasha. What's with Maru? He's sweet." She asked, tilting her head towards the white dog ears on top of Inuyasha's head. Her arms were occupied, trying to keep her groceries from falling and Sesshomaru at bay.

"But then again, why's Maru so intent on hurting you? He's usually so calm.." She murmured, half to herself as she eyed her best friend Kagome's fiancé suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. I guess it's just because he looks so much like Sesshomaru, and look-alikes share common traits and hatred towards me?" He answered nonchalantly, giving his brother a pointed look that made Sesshomaru want to rip his throat out.

More than usual, of course.

"Huh. I guess you brothers do fight a lot," she looked up at the darkening sky, "it's getting late, I should go now."

"Alright, bye, Rinny. And_Maru_." Inuyasha said, empathizing his brother's current name. He then casually let out a bark in Inu language. _"And just saying, it wears off today, in a few hours."_

"Eh? What was that, Inuyasha?" Rin prompted, oblivious to what was going on.

"Nothing. A dog demon can't bark?"

"Don't be rude, Yasha," she scolded, "tell Kags I said hi. Bye!" She walked away, with Sesshomaru still on her arm, glaring and growling at the smirking hanyo.

_Still so naive and dense, Rinny. _He thought as he walked back to where Kagome hid. They exchanged grins and high-fived.

**. . .**

Once home, Rin prepared dinner for herself and for the white puppy currently eyeing the bought meat with a hungry glint in his eye that even her human self could read.

They headed up to her room, where Sesshomaru sat beside her bed, mercilessly murdering a sausage as he watched her type furiously on her desktop keyboard with equal fevor, her food barely touched.

The only sounds that could be heard by the common hearing were his chewing and her keyboard. To him, however, his ears detected the sounds of cars driving past, outside the house. He heard the faint yelling of younger teenagers, and the blowing of the approaching winter's wind.

Around a few minutes later, when his food was finished, he fell asleep, his senses fading on Rin's constant typing and whatever else that he hears.

**. . .**

He woke again to the sound of running water. His amber eyes opened and he moved so he could glance at the time on the clock. It was around 10PM.

Rin was obviously in the shower; hence the sound of the shower. Sesshomaru started to drift off again, but he was cut off by a dizzy sensation.

A familiar, non-welcomed dizziness.

He quickly thought back to when he bumped into Inuyasha. It was about 3 hours ago. _'Shit,' _he thought, his usual calmness edging towards full-blown panic. _  
_

In a matter of minutes, with no blackout this time, he was back to his usual, demonic form.

If the fact that he wasn't still in Rin's bedroom, and that the sound of water hadn't just been turned off next door to where he currently stood, he would've been mildly grateful and enormously relieved.. but unfortunately, he_was _still in Rin's bedroom, and the sound of water _had _just been turned off.. next door to where he currently stood. The random thought of why she didn't just have a bathroom inside her room randomly crossed his mind, but he was slightly graceful for the few..seconds... that it gave him.

Slightly.

He froze when he heard the bathroom door open, and gentle footsteps approaching the bedroom that was only steps away.. panic settled in. Mildly was certainly not the way to put it.

* * *

_**Looky, it's finally updated! With a major cliffhanger! And I'll probably get skinned alive by my readers out there for this!**_

_**But yeah, there you go. Enjoy that cliff, ^^". I felt slightly humored as I typed the second half, so.. yeah. Hence the random humor in it, if you found any. **_

_**By the way, I've posted my, believe-it-or-not, first one-shot. It's called But You Didn't, and my writing style on it is way different from my normal one, so... well, read/try it please? I should give you a random warning about it..so, WARNING: YOU'LL KNOW AS YOU READ IT, SO JUST PREPARE YOURSELF RANDOMLY. Anyway! It's not hard to find, since I only currently have 3 stories, including this one. I don't know whether I did good or not in that one-shot, but I'd appreciate tips or criticism!**_

_**Speaking of criticism, I have this horrible habit of forgetting the season and time of day happening on a chapter.. so please tell me if you find an error or have confusion so I can correct it! If I am right though, the current setting is late fall, nighttime.**_

_**R&R, thank you for reading and your patience!**_


	8. Chapter 7

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

* * *

Panic. That was the only thing his _panicked _mind could come up with for what he was currently feeling.

Panic. For what he was going to do when she comes in.

Panic. For what _she _was going to do when she finds out that the puppy she's been taking care of is actually him.

A sudden thought flashed across his mind as he heard her sigh contentedly just outside the door.

He has already mastered the art of transforming into his demon dog form; a ferocious, white, van-sized dog with glowing red eyes and his trademark markings. A form that his father told him to never lose control of, to never reveal unless completely necessary.

_I wonder if I could..._

**. . .**

Rin opened her bedroom door. She was wearing her pajamas for the upcoming winter; a plain, thin, long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, with a damp towel around her neck.

She smiled fondly at the puppy on her bed - although she had no memory of putting him there, she guessed that he had his ways. She gave a quick glance at the clock. If she went to bed now, she would get approximately a healthy 9 hours of sleep until she has to wake up the next morning, she mused.

As she slid under her sheets, she picked up the puppy, who was being quieter than usual. Thinking it was just a one-time thing, she cuddled him to her chest and turned off the lights.

She was unaware of the smaller heart beating quickly against hers; beating for two completely different reasons.

**. . .**

The next day after Rin was off to work, Sesshomaru managed to change back into his normal form. He noticed that he was still in the clothes he was last in before he was forced to change into a puppy, and he hoped that his phone was still in his coat pocket. It was.

Growling silently, he dialed Inuyasha's number.

_"Helllloooo?"_

"Inuyasha."

_"'Sup, bro!"_

"Don't play innocent with me, Inuyasha. Meet me at the park that I always take walks at in approximately 10 minutes."

_"But I'm on a date with Ka-"_

"I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck. Bring her along, if you must. Just be there in 10 minutes, or I'll give you hell."

_"Alright, alright. Jeesh." _He murmured something like "date ruiner, you'll see how annoying it is when you and Rin go on dates.." before hanging off without another word.

Eye twitching, Sesshomaru immediately set out for the park, seeing that it was pretty far from where he currently was; Rin's house. He didn't have a car handy at the moment either, so he'll have to walk.

**. . .**

"Sorry about having to suddenly cancel our date, Kags.." Inuyasha apologized as he and his girlfriend walked towards the park.

"No, it's okay. You had it coming though, you know."

"Yeah.. I wonder how he pulled off changing back when he was in Rin's house.."

"Eh. You brothers are weird, so I wouldn't-"

"Inuyasha."

The said hanyo looked at his brother with an irritated twitch of his dog ears.

"Explain." Sesshomaru demanded, getting right to the point. He gestured to the benches a few feet away. As they all sat, with the exception of him, who paced in front of them, Inuyasha spoke.

"Look, Fluff-" He stopped when a warning growl interrupted him.

"Do not call me that."

"Alright, alright. As I was saying.. look, assho-"

"Yasha.. I think you should be more serious." Kagome said, slightly sweat-dropping at her boyfriend's ignorance.

"Hai, hai. _As I was saying, Sesshomaru, _you probably already figured that I put a transforming potion in your food."

"No shit. Who gave you it, and how did you manage to hide it from father and I? We should have been able to detect it by the smell."

Kagome spoke up. "Oh, umm.. well, about that, my grandfather gave it to me. It was really random of him, actually," seeing Sesshomaru getting impatient, she hurried on, "but then I heard Inuyasha complaining about you calling him a puppy, I decided that maybe I could make a deal with him."

She looked at Inuyasha, gesturing for him to continue the story.

"Keh. So anyway, she had this plan about dropping you off at Rin's neighborhood while you were a puppy and unconscious, but she miscalculated the time that the potion should've started working, and.. yeah. I got my revenge too. She had this crazy idea that you and Rin would hit off great, for some reason."

Sesshomaru's eye twitched at the added remark, but otherwise didn't betray his emotionless mask.

"But Rin found you and it worked out either way." Kagome finished, looking sheepish and triumphant at the same time.

"Hn." As his mind processed the new information, a voice called out.

"Kagome!"

"Hey, Rinny!" Kagome said cheerfully, gesturing for her best friend to take a seat at the small space remaining on the bench.

As she approached, she noticed that Sesshomaru was with them. She unconsciously blushed and Kagome smirked at her.

"H-hey, Sesshomaru. Welcome back!" Rin greeted cheerfully, silently cursing herself for stuttering.

"Hn."

* * *

_**Random ending, gomen~ if I don't stop now, I wouldn't have anything to write for the next chapter, if you know what I mean. Anyway, this story won't achieve 20 chapters. Fortunately, is a light write, so it'll probably end at chapter 15 or something. Anyway, hope this chapter cleared up some -a lot- of things! And I do apologize if this was not as exciting as you probably thought it would be. After all, it is only chapter 7, so I can't reveal it all yet, sorry! I will come bac and edit later~**_

_**Till next time, R&R!**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

_**Sorry I hadn't updated this in a long time! I was working on a bunch of other stories/oneshots that I've posted. Check them out, if you have time! Here's the chapter, enjoy. This chapter is mostly in Rin's 3rd POV, if that makes sense. And I made her pretty naïve, sooo.**_

* * *

Rin stifled a yawn and stretched out her arms, sighing in relief after her work was all done. She looked at her computer screen to see that it was already past midnight. Her hand reached towards her lap to stroke Maru's fur. He was curled up and asleep on her lap, making soft snoring sounds that she found irritably cute for an indifferent puppy like him. Then again, maybe it was the indifference that made her think of Sesshomaru whenever the puppy was acting cold and aloof.

So many things about the bundle of fur on her lap was similar to her crush, that she found it even harder to not quickly grow fond of the puppy. It was like being with a mini version of Sesshomaru, or maybe even a younger version of him. She giggled softly at the thought of Sesshomaru as a child. It seemed impossible.

After a few moments of her petting Maru's fur, she picked him up and tucked him in before lying down on the bed herself. When she brought him to her to cuddle, she noticed that he seemed to be bigger. Looking down, she stared at him. He _did _look bigger. Obviously, he was a demon dog, and without knowing that demon dogs do not exist and are always actual demon transformations, she thought that it was just a demon growth thing and went to sleep.

**. . .**

Every day for the next week, Rin would come home from work and see Maru, sitting on the couch or eating from his food dish, looking slightly out of breath for some reason. She put it past her, since dogs always seemed to be panting some way or another from running around.

One day, as she was walking back home, she passed the park and saw Sesshomaru and Inuyasha talking, seemingly quickly. She caught a few words.

"I will not... how much longer...no... I must go.." From Sesshomaru.

"Hell.. not my problem... is that Rin?... okay." From Inuyasha.

As she looked on, she was unaware of a rather large rise of concrete in her way and tripped, her eyes widening when she realized that she was going to fall face first on the ground, and with Inuyasha and _Sesshomaru _looking.

_Hell no, make it stop.._ she thought as she shut her eyes tightly and awaited for the pain.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled flush against a hard chest. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru, then immediately blushed and wiggled out of his grasp.

"H-hi, Sesshomaru! Gomen, I'm always so clumsy," she smiled sheepishly at him, willing herself to not get lost in the dept of his amber eyes. Is it just her or did his solid orbs of gold soften slightly as he looked at her?

"Hn. Be careful next time."

"H-hai!" She beamed at him, thrilled that he seemed to be concerned about her. "I'll be careful next time, don't worry about me!"

"Hn. I merely did not want the scent of human blood on me, nothing more."

Again, she beamed, knowing the truth behind his words. "Hai!" Waving, she headed back home, her heart beating helplessly.

**. . .**

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"I said no!"

"And I said yes, so just shut up and suck it up!"

"Argh!" Rin sighed in exasperation, knowing that, much like herself, Kagome wasn't going to change her mind and give in.

Kagome, recognizing her best friend's sound of defeat, smiled a smile of triumph. They wetre standing in front of Kagome's apartment, in the parking lot.

"Alright! Come in, we don't want to keep Inuyasha and Sesshomaru waiting!"

"W-what? You never said anything about Sesshomaru earlier!" Rin glared at her friend, a blush adorning her cheeks at the word 'Sesshomaru.'

"Well now you know. C'mon! You promised!"

"I never promised anything."

"But I'm your best friend!"

"No!" She huffed and turned away abruptly, her arms crossed stubbornly. A sudden silence made her turn around. To see Sesshomaru standing in front of her as he opened his mouth to say, "No what?"

Her eyes widened as the blush that had faded came back, even more fueled with the sight of her crush. "N-nothing! As the matter of fact, I think I need to go home right now, or I won't have time to finish my reports for work, so I'll see you later, Kagome!"

"You're gonna walk that far back to your house?" Kagome asked frantically, putting on a nervous smile.

"No, I drove my car here, duh." Rin jabbed a thumb in the direction where her silver Porsche was parking as she readjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"Bye, Sesshy and Kagome!" She called out, taking large, hasty steps towards her vehicle.

She was unaware of the troubled glance and shrug that Kagome sent in Sesshomaru's way. His eyes had started widen uncharacteristically after the words 'home' and 'car.'

He wouldn't be able to make it back to her house and transform in time.

* * *

_**Cliffhangers are especially lovely after a long update wait, are they not? Then again, reviews are just as lovely, so feel free to leave one! Thank you for all your patience with my writer's block!**_

_**In case you're complaining about how Rin might seem very.. childish, please know that I'm going for the carefree, cheerful, bubbly personality wth her. Let's just say that she's been fazed with all her Sesshy encounters, hehe.**_

_**Now, we all know that Rin won't stay clueless forever, so I'll pull in her real attitude after that comes up, dun worry! Speaking of which, it IS coming up soon. Hence the last sentence of this chapter.**_

_**Thanks for reading, R&R!**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

_**It's not that I'm suffering a writer's block, it's just that I couldn't find the time.**_

* * *

"Hello?"

"Oi, Rin," Rin listened to Kagome's voice on her phone as she opened her car's door and took a seat. She took her time to insert the key and started up her car before answering.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come back here for a minute?"

"Why?"  
"I need help on something."

Suspiciously, she asked, "On what?"

Her suspicion only increased when she heard silence, as if she was working to think up a lie.

"Um.. Just come back here, okay?"

With her mind running over her choice of going or not, she sighed and stepped out of her car, retracing her steps until she saw Kagome again, unmoved from her place in front of her apartment. Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight.

"Okay, I'm here. What do you want?" Rin asked impatiently as she looked around, trying to see if there was anything that could hint what Kagome was planning. There was nothing, but she didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Erm. Come in for a second," Kagome said instead, pushing Rin back into her apartment.

**. . .**

"Gee, I never knew you were so stupid, Fluffy!" Inuyasha burst out suddenly as he walked along the park with his half-brother.

"Shut it."

"I wonder what she'll do if she finds out..." He murmured to himself, purposely trailing off with a self-satisfied grin to himself for being able to cause so much trouble to his hated sibling.

"I will not allow it," Sesshomaru answered firmly as he quickened his steps, ignoring Inuyasha's calls for him to slow down. He wondered if briefly if Kagome was succeeding in distracting Rin.. if she wasn't.. well, then they were all screwed.

He rounded the last corner and stopped in front of Rin's house. A few people around the neighborhood look at him weirdly. Some with curiosity, others with suspicion. A rather young boy stared at him. He tried the doorknob and realized that it was locked. _Of course it would be, _he thought as he glanced around inconspicuously.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Rin's number from his contracts. "Hello?"

"Rin," His voice held a slight trace of fondness that he hoped she didn't notice.

"O-oh, hey Sesshomaru!" Her voice was as cheery as normal.

"Can you give the phone to Kagome?" He had Kagome's phone number too, but he wanted to call Rin instead, admittedly for the sake of hearing her voice.

"Sure.. Kagome, your call," A slight shuffling could be heard before Kagome came on the line.

"'Sup?"

"I've arrived." He said in a monotone, knowing that she understood what he meant.

Kay, bye!" The line went dead immediately. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and found a subtle corner to transform.

**. . .**

"Rin-chan!"

"Hello, Kohaku, how are you doing today?" Rin asked with a bright smile at the little boy standing outside her car's window. She made a gesture for him to step back before opening her door and stepping out.

"I'm good! I have ta tell you something.."

"Hm? Come on in, I can see you shivering. It's almost winter, we can talk after we get you seated with snacks, and I don't want your mommy to get mad at me because you caught a cold," she teased warmly as she gently tightened his clumsily tied scarf.

"Okay!" The child followed her as she unlocked the door to her house. A bark made her look down and she saw Maru sitting delicately next to the door, precisely at a spot where he would have been hit by the door, if it were to open fully.

Rin scooped him up and carried him inside, unaware of the wide eyes of Kohaku as he trailed in behind her. She set Maru down on the couch in the living room and turned to Kohaku. "Here, sit down while I make you some snacks. How does hot chocolate sound?" He nodded wordlessly, which was unusual for the cheerful boy, but Rin decided to wait until she heard what he was going to tell her before making any assumptions.

Meanwhile, Kohaku sat and stared at the puppy, who perched silently next to him. His 7 year old mind was unable to comprehend much details, but he knew that something was familiar with the puppy, something that had to do with the tall man with silver hair that was standing outside Rin's door earlier.

"Rin-chan," he said, once the hot chocolate was in front of him and Rin was listening.

"Hm?" She stared at him, noting how unusual it was for him to be as serious as he current was. She wondered what the child was thinking.

"I saw a man standing in front of your door," Maru looked up instantly, and regretted his automatic reaction, which didn't go unnoticed. He hoped that Rin had only saw it as a dog's instinct of disliking strangers and not anything more.

"A man?"  
"Yeah," Kohaku confirmed, bobbing his head up and down.

"When?"

"I dunno," he answered with a shrug.

"Can you describe to me what he looked like?" She asked cautiously, unsure of where the conversation was going, and unsure as to why her mind drifted to Sesshomaru.

"What does describe mean?"

"Can you tell me what he looked like?"

Kohaku thought for a minute, his finger placed under his chin in a thoughtful, childish manner that slightly eased the tension that she was feeling.

"He was very tall," he concluded, making her sigh with a soft smile, but her mind noted that Sesshomaru was very tall too.

"And?" She prompted.

"He.. he looked like a demon," Sesshomaru was a demon.

"Can you tell..." she hesitated, "what his hair color was?"

"Oh!" Kohaku's eyes lit up noticeably. "I remember now! It was a very pretty white color that kinda sparkles!"

It was either Inuyasha or Sesshomaru, she mused. They were the only ones around with silver hair, unless their father somehow came around, which was deemed impossible.

"Alright.. what else? What is his eye color? Is there anything on his face?" With every word out of her mouth, Maru tensed and slightly flinched.

"Well.." Kohaku's gaze turned to Maru uncertainly before pointing at him and saying, "The man looked like that puppy,"

With both stares trained on him, Maru watched with horrible anticipation as Rin's eyes filled with sudden realization as if something plainly obvious had dawned to her.

* * *

_**Another cliffhanger.. haha. And to answer Lady Silverfox's question: Soon, soon. In like, another chapter or two.**_

_**By the way, there is only about a handful of chapters left to this story, but don't worry, new stories will be posted. **_

_**Next chapter is the moment when you realize that Rin wasn't as clueless as I wrote her to be. It was mostly in Sessh's 3rd POV anyway.**_

_**Sorry for the long wait and thanks for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

_**I should do one of those thingies where...**_

_**theharleygirl2010: You'll find out in this chapter, harhar.**_

_**Leonhart9: Yeah, Rin appeared a bit slow xD but then again, I didn't put much in Rin's POV. It was mostly Sesshy's thoughts, but this chapter'll be more of a Rin POV.**_

_**L.M.T.O.P.: I'll say it for you - too freaking slow, Rin.**_

_**kiti4life: I can't write long chapters, too incapable.. other writers with longer chapters update faster than me. It's kinda sad..**_

_**blackacess: Thank you for all your reviews!**_

_**crazyken: Plainly obvious. We all know what that means!**_

_**Guest: My.. that enthusiasm doe. I'm glad you like the story so much, but please, don't die on me. I'm too young to get arrested for virtual murder _**_

* * *

"Oh..." Rin murmured, her mind reeling. It was so obvious, it had been right in her face the entire time. She glanced at _Maru _from the corner of her eye, saw him paw at the furniture nervously. He knew that his cover was blown.

"Alright, Kohaku, are you done with your hot chocolate?" She tried her best to keep her annoyance out of her voice, because she knew that it wasn't directed at the little boy and it would be immature of her to take it out on him when the one she should really be mad at was already in the room.

The boy looked down at the cup between his palms and said yes.

"Oke, I think it's getting a little late, your mommy might be worrying about you. Come in, I'll take you home,"

"Hai!" He beamed cheerfully as she helped him button up his jacket and adjust his hat on his head, oblivious to the tension in the air.

**. . .**

"Inuyasha, I don't care how late it is, get your ass over here,"

"Okay, okay... jeesh, you sound just like Sesshomaru.."

Her eye twitched at the name and barked, "I'll give you 10 minutes!" Her finger pressed 'end call.' She turned to the supposed puppy on her couch. "You can change back now, Sesshomaru."

One blink and Sesshomaru, in man form, was sitting on her couch, where _Maru _had been. The sight of him was so gorgeous that it almost melted her resolve. Almost. They were silent as they stared at each other. Gold and brown, indifferent and expressive. Her anger came back full notch when she saw the impassive look on his face. Sure, it was something very usual for him, in fact, it was considered as his 'normal' face, but she found it frustrating that he could still look like that after what he'd done.

"Just wait until Inuyasha comes," she murmured, knowing that he could hear her. With a huff, she retreated to her kitchen, leaving him wondering about her 'new side.'

_It's kinda hot.._ He mentally slapped himself. **(A/N: LOL WHAT? I DON'T KNOW, I HAD TO ADD THAT IN, I COULDN'T RESIST.)**

Approximately 10 minutes later, a knock came from the door. Rin walked quietly and answered it to reveal Inuyasha and Kagome, both with sheepish faces.

"Hi, Rin." They both smiled weakly, but gave up when all Rin did was point a finger at the living room. "Kagome, you stay. Inuyasha, go sit with your brother."

"But-"

"Now!"

Inuyasha grumbled but complied. Meanwhile, Rin stared at Kagome. "What are you doing here?" Kagome ducked her head as she murmured, "'Cause I'm in this too."

"Oh.. okay." She watched her friend squirm uncomfortably before she sighed and made a gesture for Kagome to follow her.

"Okay, you better both spill, and don't even _think _about lying, because I will not hesitate to throw you to Izayoi," Rin glared merciless, watching with satisfaction when Inuyasha's face paled at his mother's name. Even Sesshomaru looked a bit disturbed._  
_

"He started it!" Inuyasha pointed to his brother accusingly, trying to look non-guilty.

"I was merely the victim, do not push your fault to me."

"Well.." Kagome spoke up quietly. "Actually, I started it.." Rin whipped her head around, winced at the slight whiplash, and stared at her best friend in astonishment. She heard a very low, very inconspicuous, very suspiciously amused chuckle from Sesshomaru's direction, but she shrugged it off. "You don't have to take their blame just because Inuyasha's your boyfriend, Kagome." She assured, glaring at the said hanyo.

"No, really..." As Kagome explained, Sesshomaru moved from the couch to an armchair and rested an elbow on it. He plopped his chin against his knuckles and stared at Rin as he watched her ever-changing expressions. It amused him to no end, the impossible way her cheeks could puff out in anger, her eyes sparkle with realization, her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

After Kagome was finished, she turned to Inuyasha. "You're like, a hundred, not 5, Inuyasha! What will your mother say if I told her about this?" She scolded, taking in his dumbfounded face. She was secretly pleased that she, a human, could strike such fear into a half-demon. Sure, he was only half, but he was somewhat demon nonetheless.

"And you too, Sesshomaru! How could you not have just _told me_? Do you know how embarrassed I would be i-" Her words trailed off when she took in what she had said. Her cheeks flushed, her mind running through the things that she had done with _Maru_.

"Oh hell, no!" She felt like screaming as she fumed and glared at her crush accusingly, unaware of Inuyasha's whisper of "I think we should go," and Kagome's agreement. Sesshomaru watched as the couple departed silently, amused that Rin hadn't noticed.

"I even.. oh my Kami! I k-kissed you on the mouth that time! And you slept in my bed an-" This time, she did scream out her frustration, much to the disapproval of his sensitive ears.

"Rin."

"_What_?"

"Come here," He patted his lap casually, smirking at her red face, where the anger was already giving way to embarrassment.

"W-what? How do you expect me to sit on your l-" With a sigh, he was in front of her. She shrieked and struggled halfheartedly when he scooped her up bridal style and sat down. The sudden proximity was too much. They sat in silence, the only sounds were her quieting breaths and his barely audible ones.

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_**Random stop, lawl. The next chapter will pick off on this one, so don't worry.**_

_**By de way...**_

_**I think they gonna kiss next chappie. I think. I certain, to be exact. I mean, I the writer after all.**_

_**So... tune in for dat. One of my reviews, excuse me for my extremely short term memory, asked when da romance will start: Soooon. Or maybe next chappie, I dunno.**_

_**I think I was high when I wrote that ^**_

_**I shall edit tis later.**_

_**Thanks fer reading, R&R!**_


	12. Chapter 11

_**Puppy Love**_

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Disclaimer: The character are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by Rinkika - so please, no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization.**_

_**Sorry for the late updates lately! I haven't died. You can always check my profile on "updating status" to make sure. I was suffering a small writer's block and trying to help beta two other stories at the same time, so I'm kinda busy and plus, I have a pretty severe strep throat that sends me coughing every few minutes. Pretty uncomfortable. Anyway, enough self-pity. Enjoy!**_

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"What.. what are you doing?" Rin stuttered, turning awkwardly in her seat on his lap to look at her crush. "Shhh." She quieted and turned back around, unfamiliar with the gentle side of him. Another moment of silence passed before he spoke again.

"Do you want to know why I didn't tell you?" He spoke calmly, very hesitantly, as if her response and his next words would scare her away for good. "Tell me," she prodded, anticipation building up. "Tell me, why did you keep it a secret?"

"Because," he nuzzled her neck, drank in her scent hungrily, sending chills up her spine. "I..." She turned around and stared at him while he spoke the next words. "I wanted to get close to you without scaring you away." She gasped. "Even now," he continued. "I'm afraid that you would push me away, I fear your rejection." Although his face remained impassive, his eyes held so much vulnerability that she couldn't help but press a finger to his lips and leaned in until her lips were mere inches away from his.

"Don't be. I feel the same way," she said in an attempt to distinguish his insecurities.

And it worked.

He growled lowly and grabbed her finger, moving it to the side before closing the gap and hungrily devoured her lips. She groaned and kissed back with equal fervor, their pent up longing finally released. His eyes developed a slightly red tinge.

Vaguely, he heard a door's creak in the background, but he was too absorbed in the pure, addicting taste of lemon and sweet honey to care. Just as his hands started to crawl under her shirt, a cough interrupted them.

"Ahem." Immediately, Rin broke the kiss and spun her head around so quickly, she received a whiplash. She winced at the sting and cringed even more when she saw Inuyasha and Kagome standing at the doorway with horrified looks.

She then realized that position she was in—she was straddling Sesshomaru and was literally making out with him a moment ago.

"Shit, I can now imagine Rin at the top," Inuyasha joked, still looking slightly like he was scarred.

"Scarred," Kagome agreed, raising an eyebrow at her friend, who blushed madly and started to move off Sesshomaru's lap, but he kept a firm grip on her waist.

"Sesshomaru..?" She glanced at his emotionless face, and blushed when she saw his slightly swollen lips. She resisted the urge to lean in again and test just how swollen they can get.

"Why are you back, Inuyasha?" He asked casually, as if he had not just been caught sucking face by his brother.

"Oh.. I realized that I forgot my car keys," he smirked. "And I came back to see you gettin' some."

"It does not take long for one to realize that their car keys are missing."

"Oh well, but it wouldn't take long for a dog demon to sense intruders either." He shrugged off Sesshomaru's growl.

"So.. how long have you..?" Rin trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Kagome giggled and answered, "Oh, but very long.. just.. when you seriously started sucking face." Rin grimaced and hid her face behind her hands.

"We're gonna.. leave now." The standing couple left with smug grins that still held slight horror in them. After all, it wasn't every day you see your best friend and your brother about to go at it on an armchair.

Rin blushed harder and twisted to look at Sesshomaru cautiously. She was relieved to see that he didn't seem mad at her or anything. Instead, he was looking at her with a barely visible smile, which she took as a good sign, because he doesn't even laugh, let alone smile.

"Sesshomaru..?"

"Hn?"

"Are we... in mutual love?" She blurted, and then looked down at her hands. She felt her chin because pushed up by gentle fingers and beamed when he said, "Yes, Rin."

**. . .**

"About time!" Mr. Taisho bellowed pleasantly as his wife smiled fondly at the young woman standing beside her eldest son.

"How long till we finally get a grandson? Or a granddaughter?" Her eyes flashed teasingly, "or both?"

"Mother, you are making Rin uncomfortable," Sesshomaru remarked silently, glancing at his girlfriend, who looked as red as ever. "Oh dear, I didn't mean to," although judging from Mrs. Taisho's smirk, she was far from being earnest.

"Are you going to move in with him?" Rin nodded slowly. She knew and adored Sesshomaru's mother, but it was scaring her how casually she was talking about her son's love life, and in front of Rin herself too.

"Not yet,"

"-but soon." Sesshomaru finished, earning a surprised look from Rin, because they hadn't really talked or made any decisions about their relationship yet.

Mr. Taisho chuckled deeply.

**. . .**

"Getting cocky, were we?"

Sesshomaru smirked and shrugged as he walked her home. "Maybe."

"We never talked about me moving in though."

"Soon," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument. He patted her head and gave her a chaste kiss when they arrived at her doorstep. Or at least, it was supposed to be short, if you know what I mean.

They both pulled away, breathing hard, and Rin smiled.

"Goodnight, baka."

"Hn. Your baka, remember that. Goodnight." He planted another kiss on her forehead and climbed into his car with a longing glance.

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_**I hope this wasn't too OOC! Idk when I'll be able to post the next chapter, but hopefully soon. I'll come back to edit this later.**_

_**Thanks for reading, R&R!**_


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